1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to receptacles for holding drinkable fluids, such as cups, cans and bottles. More specifically, the present invention relates to such receptacles that contain a fragrance intended to enhance the flavor of the fluid drunk from those receptacles.
2. Prior Art Statement
Many people carry bottles of water with them as they exercise, travel or otherwise leave the confines of their home. One reason water is so often selected is that pure water does not need refrigeration and has no ingredients that can spoil. Consequently, a person can open and close the bottle of water numerous times without concern as to the quality of the contents.
The one disadvantage of drinking water is that the water has no flavor. As a result, the water is drunk mostly for the purposes of hydration. Over the years, devices have been developed that add flavor to water as the water is being drunk. Most of these prior art devices come in the form of straws, wherein a flavoring is present within the straw. As water is drawn through the straw, the water absorbs the flavoring and the person drinking the water tastes the flavoring. Such prior art devices are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,861 to D'Auguste, entitled FLAVORED DRINKING STRAW; U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,595 to Guttag, entitled FLAVORED DRINKING STRAW; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,713 to Fowler, entitled VERSATILE CONTROLLED FLAVOR STRAW ASSEMBLY.
Another type of prior art straw that adds flavoring to a drink is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,980, to Stanger, entitled COMBINATION STRAW AND FLAVORING. In the Stanger patent, the fluid flowing through the straw does not contact the flavoring. Rather, the flavoring material is placed in the mouth where the saliva of the mouth dissolves the flavoring and the flavoring then mixes with the fluid passing into the mouth.
The problems with the straw-based prior art flavoring devices are that in order to use such devices, the straw must be placed into the liquid being drunk. This requires a person to either bring his/her own straw or purchase a straw in addition to the beverage being consumed. Furthermore, even if such a straw were readily available, many water bottles have caps that do not have openings large enough to pass a straw through. As a result, the water would have to be poured into a container with a larger opening before it can be drunk. Another disadvantage of straw-based prior art flavoring devices is that they add calories and/or chemicals to the water. If a person does not wish to consume such calories or chemicals, then that person can not use the straw and must drink the water unflavored.
In an attempt to flavor water without adding additives to the water, devices have been developed that depend upon the physiological phenomenon of olfactory sense deception. A person's sense of taste is mostly regulated by that person's sense of smell. It is a well known physiological phenomenon that a person who smells a strong aroma while eating or drinking will believe that the food or drink being consumed is flavored in a manner corresponding to that smell. In a process not fully understood by science, the human brain receives sensory input from both the nose and the mouth. If the sensory inputs do not correspond, the signals are mixed by the brain. As a result, the brain is tricked into believing that the taste of the food or drink being consumed is the source of the smell. The brain therefore assigns a false flavor to the food or drink being consumed that corresponds to that smell. For the purpose of this disclosure, such a physiological phenomenon is referred to as olfactory sense deception.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,635,229 to Ray, entitled BEVERAGE CONTAINER INCLUDING AN AFFIXED SCENT DISBURSEMENT MEANS FOR ENHANCING PERCEIVED FLAVOR OF THE BEVERAGE, shows a prior art device that relies upon olfactory sense deception. In the referenced Ray patent, an aromatic ring is placed around the neck of a bottle. As a person drinks from the bottle, they smell the aromatic ring, wherein olfactory sense deception is hopefully induced.
The olfactory sense receptors in the sinuses receive scents in two different ways. The first way is when a person inhales through his/her nose. The second way is when air enters the sinus cavity from the back of the mouth. A problem associated with prior art devices, such as that described in the Ray patent, is that the aromatic source is located only outside the nose. Therefore, the scent of the aromatic source is only perceived when a person inhales through his/her nose. Furthermore, the aromatic source of the Ray patent is only located outside of the nose, while a person is in the process of drinking.
Humans are born with the ability to breath and drink simultaneously. However, this ability is lost shortly after infancy as the anatomy of the body changes. As such, most all people over the age of two cannot drink and breath simultaneously. As such, it is not possible for a person to breath through his/her nose at the exact moment that he/she is drinking. As a result, prior art devices that position a scented object outside the nose only while a person is drinking are fundamentally flawed. Additionally, as a person in drinking or eating, the scent of the material being consumed travels into the sinus from within the mouth. Consequently, the true smell of the material being consumed is smelled and the degree of olfactory sense deception is decreased.
A need therefore exists in the prior art for a device capable of flavoring a consumable product by using a more effective method of olfactory sense deception, whereby a scent can be introduced into the sinus cavity through the mouth. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.